The invention generally concerns a fuel tank and more particularly a fuel tank for a motor vehicle, and a filling arrangement for a fuel tank.
The modern practice in relation to fuel tanks, more particularly for motor vehicles, is for the fuel pump in the fuel tank to be disposed in what is referred to as a surge or swirl pot, from which the fuel pump constantly delivers fuel to the engine of the motor vehicle. The swirl pot in turn is constantly filled with fuel from the main body of fuel in the fuel tank so that, with progressive consumption of the fuel in the tank, firstly the main fuel tank body in which the swirl pot is disposed is emptied and finally the swirl pot itself is drained.
When there is a sufficiently high level of fuel in the main fuel tank body, this will generally ensure that there is a correspondingly high filling level in the swirl pot which in most cases is arranged at the lowest point in the main fuel tank body. When however the main fuel tank body is filled with a comparatively small amount of fuel, for example when the tank is first filled or in the event of emergency filling of the tank, it is not readily possible to guarantee that the swirl pot is sufficiently filled with fuel. Filling arrangements can therefore be provided which make it possible for the swirl pot to be filled with fuel in a preferential manner or as a matter of priority, over filling of the main fuel tank body. Attention may be directed in that respect to DE 198 36 057 and various other publications, for example DE 198 33 696 A1. For example, to provide for priority filling of the swirl pot with fuel in that way, DE 198 33 696 A1 provides that the fuel which flows through the filler pipe of the fuel tank is passed directly into the swirl pot constituting a fuel reservoir disposed within the tank. In that way, at least upon emergency filling of the tank with fuel, it is possible to guarantee that the fuel is firstly preferentially and possibly completely delivered into the swirl pot, with any further added amount of fuel then being additionally passed into the main fuel tank body.
It was found however that, when filling a fuel tank by means of a pump gun, such a design configuration can give rise to disadvantages if only small amounts of fuel are introduced into the tank at a high filling speed, for example upon initial filling. When filling the tank with a pump gun, up to 60 liters of fuel per minute can be supplied to the main fuel tank body, depending on the design of the fuel pump gun so that under some circumstances such an arrangement results in the fuel foaming up and consequently splashing over or spilling out, so that in the ultimate analysis it is not possible to guarantee that the reservoir is completely filled.
The arrangement disclosed in DE 198 36 057 therefore provides a fuel tank comprising at least one reservoir disposed therewithin and with which at least one fuel pump is operatively associated. At least one filling duct is so designed that at least a partial flow of the fuel flowing in therethrough can be fed directly to the reservoir. Provided at the discharge end at the filling connection of the main fuel tank body is a respective distributor element which has a branch for the main fuel tank body and a branch for the swirl pot. The distributor element is in the form of a plurality of tubes which are arranged in bundles which are connected at the discharge end of the filling connection downstream of a check valve so that, for example due to the cross-section of the tubes, the volume flow of fuel to be introduced into the tank is distributed proportionally to the swirl pot and the main fuel tank body surrounding the swirl pot. When the tank is filled with a small amount of fuel, this arrangement is intended to ensure that all the fuel is fed to the swirl pot. This is achieved by virtue of the branch of the distributor element, which is operatively associated with and leads to the swirl pot, being arranged at a low position.
Such an arrangement admittedly avoids excessive foaming in the swirl pot, by virtue of the fact that the volume flow is divided and distributed. It is however not possible to ensure in every case that, when introducing small volume flows of fuel into the tank, a given amount of fuel is fed to the swirl pot as a priority. In particular, it is not possible to guarantee that as being the case when the vehicle is in an inclined position during the filling procedure. It is also not impossible for a back-up of fuel to occur in the tubes, when the reservoir is filled with fuel, in the tank-filling operation.
An object of the invention is to provide an improved fuel tank for a motor vehicle so designed as to ensure priority filling of a swirl pot reservoir within the tank irrespective of the filling amount per unit of time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel tank for a motor vehicle which guarantees adequate filling of a reservoir disposed within the main fuel tank body but also avoiding foaming of the fuel in the reservoir.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle fuel tank having a reservoir for fuel within the main fuel tank body, so designed as to prevent back-up of fuel out of the reservoir.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a filling arrangement for a fuel tank which ensures improved filling of the main fuel tank body while also ensuring proper filling of a reservoir disposed therewithin.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention in the aspect relating to the fuel tank the foregoing and other objects are attained by a fuel tank, for example for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one reservoir arranged within the fuel tank and at least one fuel pump operatively associated with the reservoir to draw fuel therefrom. At least one filling conduit for filling the fuel tank is so designed that at least a partial flow of fuel flowing in therethrough can be fed directly to the reservoir. The delivery end of the filling conduit opens into an open catch pan or like receptacle communicating with the reservoir by way of at least one discharge.
The catch pan or receptacle can be for example a funnel-shaped or channel-shaped receptacle.
The term reservoir is used herein in relation to the invention to denote a container for containing a residual amount of fuel, as is also often referred to as a swirl pot or surge pot.
Further in accordance with the invention in the aspect relating to the filling arrangement the foregoing and other objects are attained by a filling arrangement for a fuel tank, for example a motor vehicle, comprising a main fuel tank body and at least one reservoir for accommodating a residual amount of fuel, disposed within the main fuel tank body. At least one fuel pump is operatively associated with the reservoir for drawing fuel therefrom. A filling conduit is so designed that at least a partial flow of fuel flowing into the tank through the filling conduit can be fed directly to the reservoir. At the discharge end the filling conduit opens into an open catch receptacle communicating with the reservoir by way of at least one discharge.
As will be apparent from the description hereinafter of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the design configurations according to the invention afford the advantage that there cannot be a back-up of fuel from the reservoir, for example out through the filling pipe of the tank. In addition, there is the advantage that the speed of filling the reservoir is in practice dependent on the filling speed in the filling operation, only when filling the fuel tank from a reserve can, with a very small amount of fuel, in other words, over a wide range of filling speeds, there is a decoupling effect as between filling of the reservoir and the tank-filling speed. That means that it is possible for example for even reservoirs of a very small fuel-accommodating volume to be reliably filled in such a way as to avoid fuel from foaming up out of the reservoir. The catch receptacle forms a volume buffer unit which permits the reservoir to be really uniformly filled with fuel, for example even if, when filling the fuel tank from a reserve can, when the fuel is introduced rapidly, the filling conduit or the actual filler pipe disposed upstream thereof is charged with fuel at such a rate as to constitute a torrent of fuel therein. In an arrangement which provides for proportional distribution of the volume flow of fuel to be introduced, to the reservoir constituting the swirl pot and to the main fuel tank body surrounding the reservoir, by suitable division of the cross-section of the filling conduit or the actual filler pipe, as discussed for example in relation to the arrangement to be found in DE 198 36 057, the volume flow of fuel fed to the reservoir is still linearly proportional to the total volume flow introduced into the tank. Accordingly, when filling the tank at a high filling speed, the reservoir still receives a comparatively high volume flow and thus a large amount of fuel, which can result in the fuel foaming up and spilling out in the reservoir. That is critical in particular when introducing small amounts of fuel into the tank, at a high filling speed.
With the design configuration of the fuel tank and the fuel tank filling arrangement in accordance with the invention, those problems can be reliably avoided for in that case a partial volume flow of fuel is taken from the total amount of fuel supplied in the tank-filling operation, only after the fuel actually issues from the filling conduit.
In accordance with a preferred feature of the fuel tank according to the invention the discharge of the catch receptacle or pan opens by way of a hose or tube into the reservoir, although it may be connected directly thereto. In both cases the internal cross-section of the discharge is smaller than the internal cross-section of the filling conduit. That finally provides for the desired decoupling effect between filling of the reservoir, and the volume flow which is introduced in total in the filling conduit in the tank-filling operation.
When filling the tank with high volume flows, for example in the range of 60 liters per minute, the fuel which can no longer be received by the discharge of the catch receptacle would overflow and issue freely into the tank, by virtue of the open nature of the catch receptacle. The volume flow of fuel which is fed to the reservoir would however be approximately constant within certain fluctuation tolerances.
Preferably, the catch receptacle is formed in one piece with the filling conduit.
In another preferred feature the discharge is arranged at the location of the catch receptacle, which is lowest in the position of installation of the tank.
The catch receptacle may have a fall in the direction of the discharge so that, even when a motor vehicle whose tank is to be filled with fuel is in an inclined position, for.example the reserve volume of fuel which is to be introduced into the fuel tank of the vehicle from an emergency or reserve can almost entirely passes into the reservoir within the fuel tank of the vehicle.
In the case of a tank structure of a branched and convoluted and thus complicated configuration it may be desirable to provide in the tank a plurality of fuel delivery units, that is to say reservoirs with a fuel pump associated with each respective reservoir. In that case the catch receptacle can be provided with a plurality of discharges so that the catch receptacle can serve at the same time as a fuel-distributor element.
In a further preferred feature the filling conduit can be provided with means for limiting blowback. The means for limiting blowback may desirably include a check valve disposed in the filling conduit at the entry end.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description hereinafter of a preferred embodiment of the invention.